Hofstra University lies 25 miles to the east of New York City on Long Island, a 45-minute ride to the big city on the Long Island Railroad. Bryan Rothstein of Hofstra admissions gave counselors a brief overview of the “smedium”-sized school of just over 6200 undergraduate students on January 31, 2025.

Campus and location

Rothstein described Hofstra as “the best of all the worlds”–city, country, and beach. The 244 acres of campus is a registered arboretum with hundreds of trees of different species. In the spring, the school plants tulips in every color as a nod to their Dutch heritage. Hofstra means nearby New York City, a green oasis, and to top it off, Atlantic beaches just 10 minutes away. The north side of campus is for the “fun stuff”–the pool, the gym, the eateries. There’s no main dining hall. The food court offers cook-to-order meals. Academic buildings dot the south side of campus.

Housing and food

Housing is guaranteed all four years and most students live on or near campus; 77% officially live on campus but off-campus housing is adjacent to the school. Parking is free if you bring a car, but eight Zipcars are available as well. Laundry’s free, too. Most of the housing is suite style, so four students share two bedrooms, a bath, and a common living space. 

Looking for strong students beyond New York City’s suburbs

Though Hofstra has students from every state (except the Dakotas) and 90 countries, they’re reaching out to strong students in the states just beyond the New York metro area. In fact, one of my Maryland students received just yesterday an invitation to a “virtual instant decision” interview requiring only the transcript, no essay, test score, or letter of recommendation. (Oddly, Hofstra was on her original list but she didn’t end up submitting an application there.)

Class sizes average 21 and the student-faculty ratio is 13:1. You can find majors at this link: hofstra.edu/majors

Health science programs

Hofstra has strong programs in the health sciences, aided by its partnership with the large Northwell medical system. The direct-entry bachelor of nursing takes 100 to 120 students each year and they work in cohorts of 10 to 15. Hofstra has a medical school, the Zucker School of Medicine, and a highly selective seven-year B.S./M.D. program with an admit rate of 5%, taking a cohort of 10 to 12 a year. There’s also a physician’s assistant accelerated program, where you can earn your bachelor’s degree and P.A. in five-and-a-half years.

Students in the health sciences work with super-realistic simulations using high fidelity mannequins that breathe, have a pulse and temperature, and can take medicine; some even give birth to baby mannequins. 

Business, education, communication, arts

Business, education, and communication are also strong at Hofstra. These offer five-year bachelor’s plus master’s degrees. The music business degree combines business and the arts, and a B.B.A. of entrepreneurship is also offered. A new business facility opened in 2019 with advanced technology such as virtual reality that allows students (or admissions personnel) to prepare for presentations and interviews to a virtual audience that provides feedback in real time. (If you don’t make eye contact with a segment of the “room,” it will turn red and the “people” will have Z’s over their heads to show you’re putting them to sleep.)

The communications school is helmed by a former NBC executive and runs a weekly Thursday Night Live take-off on the 50-year-old SNL. The Hofstra radio station broadcasts NHL hockey for the New York Islanders. Students have the opportunity to get hands-on experience with professional equipment used in all forms of media.

Engineering and law

The engineering department offers several degrees, including bioengineering, industrial engineering, and engineering science. All engineering students focus on math and physical sciences plus fundamentals of engineering the first two years. Years three and four, you get into your field of specialization. (Rothstein noted that you can major in bioengineering and still cover the prerequisites for a pre-med track.)

In addition to the accelerated programs in health sciences, business, and education, Hofstra has a 3 + 3 law program. Students can be admitted to the Legal Education Accelerated Program (LEAP) with a 3.5 GPA and an SAT of 1290 or an ACT of 27. 

Internships

Of course, proximity to NYC means lots of valuable internships are close by in every field, and Hofstra encourages every student to intern at least once. Most students average two or more internships over the course of their college career.

Student support

Hofstra has taken note of the mental health concerns on campus these days, but more than that, they offer something few other schools do: unlimited free mental health counseling. The academic support starts with advisers and the Center for Academic Excellence. Students who need extra support for learning disabilities or ADHD can apply to the fee-based PALS, or Program for Academic Learning Skills.

Applications and outcomes

When you apply to Hofstra, you are admitted to the university as a whole, not to a major or college. When you’re accepted to Hofstra, you’ll receive a handwritten note from your admissions counselor welcoming you and mentioning something they learned about you in your application. (Rothstein has the cramped hands to prove this!)

If you care about outcomes, check this out: hofstra.edu/outcomes. Many schools will tell you that such-and-such percent of students are employed or in grad school after graduation, but they often base the figure on the number of actual respondents, which may not be all graduates. Every Hofstra graduate must complete an outcomes survey, so 100% of graduates told Hofstra where they were six months after graduation, and 91% were employed, in graduate school, or both working and going to school. 

With 21 Division I athletic teams, a green and well-situated campus, and a community service ethos, the Pride (the mascots are a lion and lioness) take pride in being Hofstra University.